Laila's Skinnymandria
by Siilentpaws
Summary: Laila is a young girl living in the land known as Skinnymandria, cared for by the Monarchs of the different districts where citizens of different time periods live. Follow her life with the strict Elizabeth I, fun-loving Charles II, fiery Boudicca and the mysterious Dick Turpin as well as many other familiar faces. [on hiatus but will eventually continue]
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

"Before Skinnymandria was formed, there was a great war between the nations." Elizabeth began as she gently brushed the young girl's long coppery hair. She had told this story countless times, yet the girl never seemed tired of hearing it. "Georgian fought Celt, Tudors battled Victorians, the entire land was in chaos. The only thing certain as that the land or it's people would not be able to endure much more of the fighting; the war had to be stopped, or the land would fall into ruin."

"Then what happened?" the girl asked, her dark blue eyes sparkling even though she knew exactly what was coming next.

Elizabeth smiled at the girl's enthusiasm before continuing. "From the Greek armies came a commander by the name of Alexander the Great. He proposed a future in which the nations were united as one, so all the people would live in peace and harmony. Many people approved of this idea, but not so much man who proposed it. Alexander was known for being greedy with his territory and leaders of the other nations feared that they would lose control of their part of the land. With this distrust, the chaos nearly descended again, Alexander's idea almost trodden into the dust."

"But then Heph arrived to save us all!" The girl cheered, leaping to her feet and shooting her fist into the air.

"Yes Laila, he did." Elizabeth chuckled. "Alexander had a companion, known as Hephaestion. Unlike Alexander he had a reputation for being a fair leader, kind to his people and willing to collaborate with his equals. He drew up a revised map of the land, where each nation was given an area of territory proportionate to the number of people living within it. In the very centre of the land would be a town known as MonarchsVille"-

"Where we live!" Laila interrupted with a grin.

"- bordered by all the individual nations. The leaders of the nations would all live together in this town where they would be able to meet easily and discuss the future of the land as a whole. This idea was proposed to all the leaders, and a vote was cast to decide the future of the land."

Elizabeth paused and Laila looked over at her in confusion. "Aren't you going to carry on?" she asked.

"I can't right now, I promised to visit my mother in TudorTown before the Monarchs Meeting this afternoon." Elizabeth sighed as Laila gave her a forlorn look. "You're going to spend the afternoon with a good friend of mine; Ludwig van Beethoven. I'm sure you'll have a nice time with him." Laila smiled as she took the Tudor Queen's hand and eagerly made her way towards the door.

* * *

When they arrived outside Beethoven's house just outside the MonarchsVille boundary, the elderly composer was nowhere to be seen. Instead a green-clothed figure with bright flaming hair stood leaning on the letterbox, and when Elizabeth approached her she looked up with a smile.

"Boudicca, do you know where Beethoven's got to?" Elizabeth asked, while Laila sprinted up to Boudicca and was swept into her arms.

"Take a wild guess." Boudicca laughed, pointing in the direction of the neighbouring house while giving the girl an affectionate hug.

Elizabeth turned to look at the other house, where great deal of loud shouting could be heard. "Don't tell me he's arguing with Mozart again about who's the better composer." She sighed.

Boudicca nodded grimly. "But he asked for me to look after this little one until he was finished, so you can still see Anne Boleyn before the Meeting gets going."

"Can you tell me the Union of the Nations story!" Laila asked excitedly.

"I sure can, but you know that no-one tells it better than Lizzie here does." Boudicaa grinned in response.

"Thank you Boudicca," Elizabeth nodded relievedly before hurrying back into MonarchsVille as fast as her large dress would allow her to go. She suddenly stopped, turned, and called back "We got to the part where the first vote was cast!"

"Alrighty then." Boudicca plonked herself onto the ground, sitting Laila onto her lap. "When the results of the vote were gathered, everyone was shocked. Not one leader had voted to continue the war. Every leader of every nation was willing to put their trust in Hephaestion, and therefore he was appointed the Prince of the new land. Since the original idea had been suggested by Alexander, he was given the privilege of choosing the name of the land. In honour of his dear companion the land was named Skinnymandria, a name that only reflected it's leader rather than any of the nations that it was composed of. Each individual nation was named after the people who inhabited it; TudorTown, StuartVille, the Celtic District, the War Zone and the Victorian City were just some of the few newly named nations."

"But despite the pledge of loyalty towards Skinnymandria made by each leader, there was still an amount of distrust between some of the leaders. Hostility remained between many individuals even though... even though relationships blossomed between others, putting the relationship of the whole Council of Monarchs at a strain. Criminals thrived, taking advantage of the differences between laws in each nation. It was eventually decided that an example had to be made of one such criminal to show that the Council was strong enough." A strange clouded look had come across Boudicca's green eyes as she finished speaking, and she looked away at the ground. Laila frowned and wrapped her arms around the Celtic Queens neck, and she squeezed back with a grateful smile.

"Is that Elizabeth's little daughter I can see there?" A voice asked and both Boudicca and Laila turned to see Beethoven approaching them.

Boudicca tensed up immediately. "You know she's not Lizzie's daughter, Beethoven, she belongs to all of us in MonarchsVille." She said with a snappy tone to her voice.

Beethoven smiled ignorantly and Boudicca rolled her eyes, remembering too late that he was unlikely to have heard much of what she'd just said. "Now remind me, little one, what did our Prince decide to call you again?"

"It's Laila." She informed him with an eye roll almost equal to Boudicca's. "I've known you since I was a baby and I'm nearly six now, but you keep forgetting."

"Ah, Leah, yes I remember now." Laila giggled as he misheard her yet again, her frustration cast aside. "I do believe I'm looking after you for the afternoon while this MonarchsVille. Come on in then."

Laila scrambled off Boudicca's lap to take the composer's hand. "Bye Boudicca. Coming Mr Beetle-oven." She chirped with a mischievous grin, knowing that he wouldn't notice her purposeful error. "Do you know the story of the Union of the Nations?"

"I certainly do Leah, and I can tell it to you if you'd like." He smiled down at her as he showed her into the house and helped her onto the armchair.

"We're at the bit where the all the crinima... crimini... naughty people were being bad." She eventually said.

"Ah yes, it's all coming back to me now." Beethoven nodded slowly as he sat down in a chair opposite Laila. "A plot to blow up the Council Building was discovered. This was the doing of Fawkes' Thirteen, a group of StuartVille Catholics who were unhappy with the Protestant majority in the Council of Monarchs. But their punishments were limited due to the support they received from fellow Catholic sympathisers within the Council."

"Wasn't that Lizzie's sister?" Laila asked, uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes it was; Mary Tudor and her husband Phillip." Beethoven explained patiently, "They've always been devout Catholics. They also had support from the Borgia Family, as well as a few monarchs from the Medieval City."

"Who was it that got punished then?" This was the one detail of the story that Laila didn't know; as much as she'd begged various people to tell her, his name had been kept secret.

"The blame was placed on another individual, although it is unknown to this day whether or not he was truly involved in the scheme. It was rumoured that his relationship with one of the leaders, the Celtic representative, had allowed him special access into the Council Building and this was how the Thirteen were able to gain access to the cellars beneath the Council. Our Prince was faced with a difficult decision; the Thirteen had already been pardoned, yet he needed to punish one of the criminals otherwise Skinnymandria would be shown as weak. A vote was cast within the Council, and all but one leader elected for him to be banished from the Nation. He would be allowed to roam free in the forests around the land, but if he was ever caught he would be killed."

Laila listened intently as she'd never been told the story in such detail before. Lizzie had never mentioned that he may have had an alibi within the Council, and she wondered intently for a few moments which of the Celtic leaders it may have been. "Mr Beetle-oven?" she asked after a while, "Do you know what his name was?" She looked up at him for an answer, but in her silence he'd fallen asleep in his chair. Unsure whether to wake him or not, her gaze drifted around the room until it eventually settled on the open window. She looked back at Beethoven to check he was fully asleep before sneaking off towards the window and placing her hands on the sill. With a surprising amount of strength she pulled herself up, wobbled for a few moments, and tumbled off the other side into a rose bush just outside the house.

Ignoring the sting of her scratched hands, Laila pulled the thorns out of her dress and wriggled out of the shrubbery. Hearing the sound of water rushing she decided to investigate, and was delighted to find that the main Skinnymandrian river ran right behind Beethoven's house. She hurried over and found a comfortable rock to sit on, not noticing she was getting further and further away from the house or the strange branch trailing right in front of her feet. When she stood up the branch pulled taught, tripping her up and sending her plummeting into the freezing cold waters.

"Help!" she screamed at the figure who had appeared on the bank, "Help me out!"

"Hahahaha!" He laughed. "You've been Artois'd!" Before Laila could plead to him again he turned around and ran away into the forest, screeching "Top of the pops!" as he did.

After a few moments of trying desperately to scrabble towards the bank, Laila was about to give up before strong hands grabbed her waist and gently hauled her out of the water. She was set down in a clump of ferns by a stranger wrapped in a black cloak, but when he took it off and draped it round her shivering shoulders she saw a smart black jacket with a white necktie. The black cloth that covered his nose and mouth made him impossible to recognise, so the first question that Laila asked was "Who are you?"

The stranger tensed, eyes darting round uncertainly. "If I tell you," he began slowly, "You must give me your word never to speak of it again." Laila nodded solemnly and he removed the black cloth, revealing a clean-shaven face with a small smile. "Dick Turpin, notorious highwayman and," he dropped low in a sweeping bow, "Skinnymandria's most wanted criminal, at your service."

Laila giggled at his display. "I'm Laila," she smiled, holding out her hand for him to shake like she'd been instructed to do by Elizabeth upon meeting anyone she didn't know. "I live in MonarchsVille with Lizzie."

Turpin was nodding thoughtfully with a widened smile, his dark brown eyes fixed on her. "That sounds much better than living out here." The smile was wiped off his face at the sound of footsteps coming in their direction, and he instantly drew a rifle from his belt. He reached an arm out and drew Laila close to him, eyes moving frantically as he scanned the forest for the source of the footsteps.

Laila could just about make out a figure in red treading cautiously through the leaf litter, but it wasn't until he was much closer that he recognised the familiar black moustache and black curly wig. "Don't shoot, it's Charlie!" she whispered loudly to Turpin as the StuartVille monarch turned to look in their direction.

Upon seeing Laila, Charles ran towards her and dropped into a crouch when she wriggled out of Turpin's grasp to spring over and give him a hug. "What in Skinnymandria's name has happened to you, you're soaking wet!" he laughed, unwrapping the cloak to reveal her damp purple dress. With a great deal of hesitance he handed the cloak back to the highwayman, who fastened it back around his neck without breaking Charles' eye contact. "Do you happen to know anything about Laila's situation?"

Turpin nodded, his face void of expression. "That French idiot Robert of Artois caught her in one of his traps and she fell into the river, meaning I had to fish her out."

Charles hesitated, knowing that what he was about to say went against every part of his loyalty pledge to the Council of Monarchs. "In any other circumstances, I would have no choice but to have you arrested," he started slowly, making Laila clap a hand over her mouth in shock. Even though she had only met the highwayman briefly, she already cared about him. "But seeing as you saved Laila and returned her to us, I won't speak of this. I suggest you make yourself scarce so I'm not forced to make that decision a second time."

The relief on Turpin's face was immense. "Thank you Charles." He bowed again, making Laila smile, before jumping on his horse and riding away into the trees.

"Charlie?" Laila asked tiredly, "I never got to finish the Union of the Nations story. Can you tell me the last bit?"

Charles switched his gaze from the back of the retreating highwayman to look down at her. "Which part?"

"The bit about the girl." Laila replied as she snuggled into his warm tunic.

As he thought for a moment where to start with the story, he started out on the long walk back out of the forest. "Well, two years after the Gunpowder Plot she was abandoned in the forest bordering MonarchsVille, she was found by the TudorTown monarch Elizabeth and brought back to the Council. She was unique in that she belonged to no nation in particular, so every leader loved her and treated her as their own. It was decided that she would live in MonarchsVille, and that Elizabeth would be her prime carer as it was her who had found the girl in the first place. Hephaestion decided that she would receive a Greek name like him, and after suggestions were collected the Council voted on-" Hearing a soft intake of breath he realised that she had fallen asleep, the excitement of the day finally proving too much for her. "They decided to name her Laila, affectionately known as the Princess of Skinnymandria."

Dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead, he whispered the last line of the story. "So you could say that the arrival of you united the nations far more than any silly old pledge did."


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

 _12 years later_

* * *

"Laila! What in the name of Skinnymandria are you doing?"

Laila rolled her eyes from where she balanced precariously on a low branch of a tree at the edge of the forest. "Trying to find Elagabalus's lion. I was put on walking duty since he's busy organising a dinner party for this afternoon, but I, err, seem to have lost him." _For the third time this week_ she sighed to herself. She'd figured that a higher vantage point would help her spot the lion quicker, which was important, since a few years ago the lion had escaped into the Stone Age Settlement and the casualty rate had been high.

"That's all very well, but you'll ruin your dress! And there are leaves in your hair!" Elizabeth cried in despair. Laila suppressed a smile; although she loved the Tudor Queen who had taken her in seventeen years ago, Elizabeth could be a little controlling at times.

"Don't worry," Laila assured her "once I've found Elagabalus's lion, I'll take him back to the Roman City via the Historical Shopping Centre. A letter arrived this morning to say my Fashion Fix parcel is ready to be collected."

"Well as long as you're looking presentable by the time you get back!" Elizabeth called before muttering something inaudible and heading back into the house.

After looking around for another few minutes, a flash of yellow amongst the trees caught her attention and she sighed with relief. Climbing carefully down from the tree she ventured fearlessly into the forest and grabbed the lion's collar to prevent him from making a getaway. Attaching the rein to the collar she climbed onto Ozzie, her horse, whom she'd left tied to one of the branches while he ate his lunch and she lion-hunted. Satisfied with the tight grip she had on the lion's rein, she rode slowly in the direction of the Historical Shopping Centre. This was situated in a small area on the edge of MonarchsVille, in the same place as the HHTV reports were filmed as well as the comedy show 'Stupid Deaths'. She left Ozzie and the lion in the stables and walked through the square to the Fashion Fix shop.

"Good morning m'lady, what era would you like to be dressed as today?" The voice of Lee, the owner of Fashion Fix, drifted through the shop. Laila could see him on his knees rummaging through some boxes with his back to the door.

"Just the usual Lee, the mismatched stuff." Laila replied. She didn't like to dress as a particular era, simply because she didn't belong to any particular nation. Having so many close friends in so many different nations meant that she would never be able to please anyone if she dressed in a certain style, which was why she opted for a collection of her favourite garments from each nation.

"Ah yes. Sorry Laila, I didn't see you there." Lee apologised, handing her a parcel. "Here's what you ordered last week."

Laila took the parcel from Lee's hands and started unwrapping it carefully. Inside was a long purple dress- purple for the colour of royalty, not to dissimilar to Elizabeth's more casual dresses- a navy blue tartan cloak like those worn in the Celtic District, and a pair of black laced boots that clearly belonged in the Victorian City. "This is perfect, thanks Lee." She smiled gratefully as she rolled everything back into the brown paper packaging and retied the string.

"It's no problem at all. You're going to need it I think, what in the name of Skinnymandria have you been doing!"

"I lost Elagabalus's lion." Laila answered meekly.

"Ah." Lee nodded. "That makes sense."

"I'd better get him back to Elagabalus's house." Laila called as she headed out the door. "Bye Lee!"

Once out of Fashion Fix, she hurried quickly back to the stables. A loud honk caught her attention and she looked over to see a motorcar driving past, far faster than she was allowed to ride on the roads or pathways. It was unusual to see them outside the Victorian City but she only had time to shoot it a jealous look before continuing on her journey. Once there she tucked the parcel into a pocket on her saddle and climbed onto Ozzie's back, and rode as quickly as she could, with the lion slowing them down, to Elagabalus' mansion on the edge of the Roman City. A little out of breath from her frantic journey, she knocked on the great door and was answered by the teenage Roman Emperor himself.

"Yo, Laila, got my lion?" Elagabalus motioned for her to come in through the door. "Oh, mind the guts as you're going." he added, pointing to the pile of blood-spattered guts sat in various places on the floor.

"What did the guts say this morning?" Laila asked; she'd given up asking why he kept human intestines on his floor a long time ago.

"That my dinner party is gonna be totally random!" Elagabalus laughed, "I've got Charlie and Thomkins here and I'm waiting for George the fourth and Mrs... Tombleby Bottomcheek to arrive! It's a good thing you got here, I wanted the lion in the bedroom by the time Mrs Pumbleby Tumblechook got here."

Laila raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason?" she questioned Elagabalus, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"Yeea, I heard from some people she always snoops around people's homes," he responded with a devilish grin, "Especially people who are as nearly as important as I am. So I'm gonna put the lion in the one of the guest rooms and-"

"I can guess the rest." Laila cut in, wincing at the thought of the snobby Victorian woman's reaction to discovering a lion.

"I know! Huhuhuh I'm so random!" Elagabalus laughed again, taking the lion's lead from her hand and wandering up the stairs to where the guest bedrooms were. Laila followed the trail of guts into the dining room, careful to avoid the blood stains which would only worsen the state of her already-scruffed shoes, to join the rest of the guests.

"Good day to you Laila!" Thomkins proclaimed, jumping to his feet and dropping into a low bow.

Laila laughed as he did so, having always found the gesture to be amusing. "How many times do I need to tell you Home Guard lot, I'm not a monarch!"

"But you're effectively Elizabeth's daughter!" he protested, sitting back down.

They all fell quiet as a Victorian woman in an astonishingly wide dress approached the door. Amused glances were exchanged when she stuggled to fit her dress through the door frame, each person wondering if they'd have t offer her assistance, but a collective relieved sigh could be heard when she managed to squeeze her way through. "Good day to you all, I am Mrs Tumbleby Pumblechook." she announced, before fixing each person with an intense stare.

"Good morning Mrs Pumbleby Tumblechook," chorused Laila, Charles and Thomkins quietly, not wanting to risk enduring her wrath if she didn't receive the police reception. This was common in the Victorian City but scarcely adhered to in MonarchsVille as everyone was of the same status.

"Tumbleby Pumblechook," she corrected with a frown.

"That's what we said, wasn't it?" Charles asked, tilting his head as if in confusion though with a barely concealed smile.

Mrs Tumbleby Pumblechook huffed loudly before turning to Elagabalus, who had just returned from upstairs. "Now if you don't mind, Elagabalus, I'm going to have a look round upstairs." She announced, turning round and pushing her dress forcefully through the door.

Elagabalus grinned. "Now this'll be fun to watch! I'm so random sometimes," he laughed before leaving to follow her upstairs, at a same distance.

Once Elagabalus had gone, Laila turned back around and caught sight of Thomkin's bandaged hand. "What in the name of Skinnymandria have you done to your hand!" she exclaimed

"I sliced the top of my finger off trying to adjust the strap on my helmet," he replied sheepishly, going slightly pink with embarrassment.

Charles laughed. "Well that was a bit silly wasn't it!"

A deafening roar and a scream of "Argh! There's a lion in here!" silenced them, followed by a great deal of snarling and a triumphant laugh which could only belong to Elagabalus.

Laila glanced at Charlie and mumbled "I think Mrs Tombleby Bottomcheek, as Elagabalus calls her, has found the lion."

* * *

After Mrs Tumbleby Pumblechook had been taken to the Historical Hospital, Laila and the other guests were served their lunch. Or, at least, what they thought would be lunch. It turned out that Elagabalus had just given them rocks and wax painted to look like food, and kept all the edible items for himself. George was holding his hand to his cheek with a pained expression on his face; in his eagerness to eat he'd forgotten about Elagabalus' prankster reputation and bitten into a rock without a second thought.

"That's it, dinner's over, off you go everyone." Elagabalus announced as he leant back in his lounger, looking like he was waiting to be fed grapes. George marched off, not needing to be told twice. By the time Laila, Charles and Thomkins were outside, George was already on his horse and riding in the direction of MonarchsVille.

"Blimey." Charles stated. "He was keen to get out."

"He was probably eager to get to the Historical Dentist," Laila shrugged with a sympathetic expression, "that must be pretty painful."

"I'll be off them." Thomkins waved goodbye, climbing into his plane which he'd parked next to where the horses had been tied. "Tally ho folks!" He took off, wobbled a bit in midair, and promptly crashed into a tree at the far edge of Elagabalus's garden.

Laila shook her head in despair. "Who's idea was it t give the Home Guard aeroplanes?" she asked Charles.

"That'd be Blenkinsopp for you. He and Maltravis begged so hard that the Army leader gave in. Worst decision of his career I think." Charles replied with laughter in his voice. "We'd best get back to MonarchsVille."

Laila nodded in agreement as she untied Ozzie before pulling herself up into the saddle, checking that her parcel was still there. She and Charles began riding leisurely through the quiet streets of MonarchsVille; Elizabeth and Charles' houses were both on the side of the village nearest TudorTown and StuartVille, the opposite side to where the Roman City was. Considering it was the capital of Skinnymandria, the streets were often surprisingly quiet, so their journey was uninterrupted.

"Do you like living in MonarchsVille?"Charles asked her out of the blue. Laila nodded, surprised by the question, and he added "It's just that you don't like people treating you like a Monarch, so I wondered if you were happy living with us."

There was no hesitation before Laila nodded. "It's the only home I've ever known," she started, "so I'd hate to live anywhere else. You're all my family, and although I'll never feel like a true Monarch, the Home Guard too have a valid point in calling me one!" She and Charles both laughed at that.

"But you never wish that you could know who your real parents are?" Charles pressed, and this time Laila really had to stop and think.

"No," she eventually said, "I'm happy things turned out like they did. There's no telling what my life would have been like if my parents had kept me, and I can't imagine not living here in MonarchsVille."

Charles smiled, "That's a good thing, because I'm pretty sure every member of the Council of Monarchs would miss you if you weren't here. Monarch Council Meetings just wouldn't be the same without the copper-haired girl on her stool in the corner- you've been there for the past five years and I can scarcely remember what it was like without you!"

"Well I can tell you one thing, you wouldn't get nearly as much done!" Laila grinned. It was a widely accepted fact that the Council would have fallen apart on many occasions if Laila hadn't been there to make them compromise with each other. Her job was easier now than it had been five years ago- her twelfth birthday treat had been to be allowed into the Monarch Council Meetings- since the relationships between the Monarchs of different nations had greatly improved, but it could still be a challenge at times.

To her surprise, George had waited for them just outside the house he shared with his crazed father George III. Upon hearing the hooves of Laila and Charles' horses approaching him, he looked up with the usual frown on his face, hand still clamped to cheek. "Took your time," he said abruptly.

Laila shrugged. "We were just talking. Anyway, shouldn't you be going to the Historical Dentist with that tooth?"

"Well you shouldn't have been!" George snapped, "And I will be doing nothing of the sort- those oversized tongs aren't coming anywhere near my mouth!" Once he'd finished his rant he stormed into his house, but forgot to close the front door.

"What's up with him?" Laila queried to Charles, though she'd grown use to his grumpy personality.

"That tooth must be bothering him more than he's letting on." Charles sighed, "Come on, let's get you back to Lizzie so she doesn't have me executed for keeping you too long."

"I'm not a child anymore Charlie," Laila snapped, the temper she'd acquired from her adopted mother getting the better of her for a moment. Seeing Charles' eyes widen with shock, she immediately regretted what she said and leant over in her saddle to touch his wrist. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout," she apologised, "it's just Lizzie can get a little overbearing at times, and I enjoy having some time away from home."

Charles smiled reassuringly, patting Laila's arm to let her know there were no hard feelings. "It's alright," he said softly. "I can only imagine how much Lizzie must watch over you, even though she only does it out of love, and I know she can get very frustrating at times." Laila nodded. "I'll talk to her, and see if I can arrange something so you'll get more time to yourself without her on your back."

Laila grinned and hugged her friend. "Thanks Charlie, it would be a real help," she said gratefully. She let go of him and gracefully slid off Ozzie's back. "Let's go and see how we can help George."

"Typical Laila, always wanting to take care of everyone." Charles laughed, stepping off his horse and tentatively approaching George's house

The sound of someone shouting her name make Laila look up sharply to see Robert Cecil, one of Elizabeth's courtiers, riding towards them."Laila, Elizabeth is asking after you!" he called breathlessly once he was within hearing range.

Laila nodded briskly, knowing that if Elizabeth had deliberately summoned her then there must be a good reason. "I'll go and see what she wants, thanks Cecil," she replied.

"At last, someone who doesn't call me 'Pygmy'," Robert sighed before turning his horse round to ride back to Elizabeth's house.

"I'd best be off, it's probably not a good idea to keep Elizabeth waiting." Laila apologised as she stepped back into her saddle, waving goodbye to Charles before trotting after Cecil. "Good luck getting George to the Historical Dentist!"

Charles waved after her, laughing to himself at her last comment. He turned towards George's house, a rueful look on his face, and remarked "I think I'll need it."


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

* * *

As the MonarchsVille stables weren't far from Elizabeth's house, Laila and Cecil were easily able to leave their horses in the stables and walk back to the house. When Cecil unlocked the door, Laila went straight through the house into the drawing room where Elizabeth was sat at her desk, busily writing a letter. By some miracle she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror above the fireplace and was reminded instantly that she needed to change before she talked to Elizabeth. But fortune wasn't on her side; she only had time to brush the last leaves out of her hair before Elizabeth looked up and saw her.

"What happened to the agreement that you'd be changed before you returned home?" Elizabeth asked sharply, noting the clothing parcel still tucked underneath one arm.

Laila hesitated for a moment, trying to think quickly of an excuse to use before giving up and responding "I came as soon as Cecil told me, there wasn't any time."

"Well, thank you for coming back on such short notice." Elizabeth said as she looked back down as her letter; Laila sighed quietly with relief when the subject was changed away from her clothing. Writing the last word on her letter she put the pen down and closed the inkwell before meeting Laila's eyes. "Now it has been brought to my attention that there will be a Tudor hierarchy meeting next Moon-day." Laila leaned over Elizabeth's open diary to work out how long away that was, and was surprised to find that today was Saturn-day and there were only two days before Elizabeth would need to be in TudorTown. "I'll be there for a week, and during that time you'll be staying in MonarchsVille with Charlie."

A grin lit up Laila's face when Elizabeth said she'd be staying with Charles. _A whole week where I can do what I like- this is exactly what I need,_ she thought joyously. "Thanks Lizzie!" she exclaimed, "When do you need me to be there."

"Well I know you're helping out in the Historical Hospital tomorrow, so I thought it would make sense if you simply went back to Charlie's house rather than returning home after your shift ends," Elizabeth said, "though in that case you'll need to take any belongings you need with you over there beforehand. It's your decision, as long as you're out of the house by Sun-day evening. Pygmy will be accompanying me to TudorTown, so there'll be no-one to look after you if you're still here."

"That makes sense. I think I'll take everything over there now, if you don't mind." Elizabeth nodded in response before taking out another sheet of paper and beginning to write. Laila interpreted that as her dismissal, so turned wordlessly around and headed upstairs to her bedroom. Pulling a brown sack-cloth bag from under her bed, she reopened the Fashion Fix parcel and emptied the contents into the bag along with a couple of other dresses pulled from her cupboard. She left her blue nursing uniform behind, knowing that she'd need to change into that the next morning before her Historical Hospital shift, before turning to the chest at the end of her bed. Glancing at the clouded sky out her window, she took the new cloak from her parcel and attached it round her neck, admiring the blue jewelled clasp for a moment, before focusing back on the task at hand. Rummaging through her books, she tucked a copy of 'Bob Hale's Incredible Fact Book' into the bag to keep her occupied, but left 'The History of Fishes' firmly at the bottom of the chest. When her gaze drifted to the longbow and quiver by the head of her bed, she considered for a moment before slinging bow over her shoulder and tying the quiver round her waste. Knowing full well that Elizabeth wouldn't be very impressed seeing her with her full weaponry- she had voiced severe doubts when Boudicca first suggested teaching Laila how to shoot- she snuck out the front door without bidding her adopted mother goodbye.

It was a much slower walk back to the stables this time, as the bag was much heavier than she'd anticipated, but eventually she was able to tie the bag onto Ozzie's saddle and climb aboard her horse. Realising that Charlie would probably still be with George at the Historical Dentist, she figured that it wouldn't hurt anyone if she went through the Skinnymandrian Forest rather than the direct route and turned towards the woods.

As always, Laila rode cautiously through the woodland paths, but her attempt to be silent and stealthy was spoiled by the sound of her arrows clattering in her quiver. Her eyes were peeled for any sign of the man she was searching for, but as she ventured further away from the capital city she tried not to let her hopes dip too much. The sound of another horse galloping through the forest made her spirits soar however, eagerly riding in the direction of the sound while looking out for the telltale black cloak and three-pointed hat.

"Stand and deliver, your money or your life!" A voice sounded out, igniting a smile on Laila's face. She was known enough throughout Skinnymandria that none of the other highwaymen would dare to approach her, the fear of Elizabeth's wrath stronger than the need to fill their purses. For that reason, she had agreed with this particular highwayman that his former catchphrase would be their secret code, as he was the only person who would say it to her. She was confused, however, as despite the voice she couldn't see another horse anywhere in the area. It was only when the glossy-coated black mare burst out of the undergrowth almost right beside her that she saw Turpin, but he was too close to her to bring his horse to a stop. Ozzie reared in panic, and all of Laila's riding talents couldn't prevent her from being thrown off into a nearby bush.

"I can see why you're the most wanted criminal in Skinnymandria if you go around doing that to people." Laila groaned as Turpin jumped off his horse and rushed over to her.

"I'm so sorry Laila, I didn't realise you were that close," Turpin apologised as he helped her to her feet, "You're alright though, aren't you?"

Laila laughed as she brushed the clinging bits of foliage off of her dress. "Just about. That's the second time I've been covered in leaves today." When Turpin looked at her confusedly, she added "I lost the lion in the forest again."

Turpin rolled his eyes in a teasing fashion. "I'm surprised Largy still lets you have control of that beast," he chuckled, "I still remember what happened when he got into the Stone Age Settlement!"

"Urgh," Laila groaned again, covering her face with her hands, "don't remind me. I'm surprised Ugg and Grunt have let me live it down!"

"Lizzie's going to have you executed if she sees you in this state," Turpin remarked as he used his hat to sweep a couple of twig out of Laila's hair, "providing you still live with her?"

"Oh yes," Laila nodded, "Funnily enough, I was only having this conversation with Charlie this morning. I wouldn't want to live on my own- most of the Monarchs who don't live alongside relatives have their secretaries sharing the house with them, and I haven't got one of those." Just like Cecil lived with Elizabeth and Laila, Charles had Sotherby to keep him company when he wasn't hosting any parties and the first George had his Prime Minister Walpole living with him as a terrible translator from German to English. Unlike their predecessor, Georges III and IV lived with each other and a large quantity of doctors to keep an eye on George III's madness.

Turpin paused in thought for a moment before speaking again. "Is there not anyone else in Skinnymandria other than the MonarchsVille residents who would have you? Even just for a short while, as a break from living with Lizzie?"

Laila shrugged, "I suppose so, though I haven't really thought about it in much detail. I expect I'd be made welcome in the War Zone even though I'm a girl, half their army seems to be made up of women these days." Turpin let out a short laugh, and Laila silenced him with a stern look before it disintegrated into a smile. "But I doubt I'd last very long with the Home Guard around, you wouldn't believe how many accident books they've gone through!"

"You don't need to explain, I remember all that from when I was still living in GeorgianTown," Turpin laughed again, "Even the Chief Guard managed to land himself in the Historical Hospital on more than one occasion!"

"Well that hasn't changed, he was in there only last Sun-day for a pulled muscle in his back," Laila giggled, "The irony is that he was giving a first aid demonstration when he sustained the injury!"

"I'd say that idea isn't such a great one then. Anyone else?"

"Nelson's ship," Laila nodded, "I always spend a few days there every now and then. I enjoy the change of scenery, and even when I first started going it didn't take long for me to get my sea legs. I don't tend to stay too long though, conditions get a little, unpleasant, after a while."

"Well if it's anything like the Georgian Navy, I completely understand where you're coming from." Laila tilted her head in confusion before he added, "During the war before the Union of the Nations, I joined the Navy for a little while. I think it's safe to say I definitely didn't get my sea legs!" A grimace passed across Turpin's face, making Laila burst out laughing again. When she'd regained her composure, he hesitantly suggested, "You could always come and join me?"

Laila could only stare for a couple of seconds, unable to think of an answer. "There are times when I'd love to," she stated truthfully, "but I couldn't. I'd have to cut myself away from all my friends in Skinnymandria, and I'd miss them too much."

"Don't you miss me?" Turpin asked with a hurt look in his eyes, and Laila instantly regretted her choice of wording.

"Of course I do," she smiled unhappily, "but at least we've got an arrangement where I can still see you regularly. If I joined you, they'd have no choice but to declare me a criminal and I'd never be able to see any of them again."

Turpin nodded with his eyes to the floor. "I suppose that makes sense," he admitted, before looking up and straightening his hat. "I ought to get moving again, it's too dangerous to stay in one place for too long. Until next time." Without another word he climbed back onto his horse and cantered into the distance, leaving Laila to wave goodbye to his retreating figure before getting back aboard Ozzie and continuing on to Charles' house.

* * *

Laila was pleased to see that Charles was back home when she knocked on his door, but the glum look in his dark brown eyes made her pause for a moment. "Looks like someone's caught the blue-blooded blues," she commented with a forced smile, knowing from experience that sometimes the best way to cheer up Charles was to make him laugh, but he only sighed and nodded. Leading him into the drawing room, she put her belongings down on the floor before sitting him down and giving him a fierce 'what's wrong' look.

Charles sighed again before starting to speak. "After getting George to the Historical Dentist, I stopped by at Lizzie's house to ask about getting you some more freedom."

"I'm guessing her response wasn't what you were hoping for," Laila assumed with a sympathetic smile.

"Ha. No," Charles laughed shortly, "To put it briefly, I was told that I was being a sumph- I think that's Tudor slang for idiot? - and that if I pressed it again she would make me shorter by a head."

Laila could only sigh in response, flopping back in her seat with an exasperated look on her face. Although most people had got used to Elizabeth's constant threatening to execute people, Charles had always been upset by the subject since he'd nearly lost his father to the executioner's axe. He had only been saved by Hephaestion's timely arrival, and that act had led to the introduction of the 'no deliberate killing' rule that was established throughout Skinnymandria. Giving her friend a comforting hug, she said to him "I know the Tudors in particular talk about beheading far too much, but just try to ignore them. At least we all know it can never happen again thanks to Heph's rule."

"I know," Charles mumbled into her shoulder, "but it doesn't make it any easier."

Frantic knocking on the door made Laila jump, and after Charles managed to give her a shaky smile they both made their way to the door. To Laila's surprise, they opened the door to see a tearful Richard III and furious-looking Boudicca on the doorstep.

"Lizzie told us you'd be here," Boudicca said abruptly, marching past Laila and into the dining room without waiting for an invitation. Laila and Charles exchanged a confused glance before following her in, Laila taking Richard's hand and leading him behind her. When they were all sat down at Charles' enormous dinner table, Charles motioned at Boudicca to continue. "We've got a Tudor problem, and we figured you'd be the best person to talk to."

"The two Henry's are making their hunchback jokes again," Richard sniffed, "saying that I had a limp and a withered arm. It's completely untrue!"

"I'll bet this is Shakespeare's doing too," Charles sighed as Laila made an attempt to sooth Richard. The Tudor playwright had a habit of putting Richard in a bad light, something not helped by the fact that one of his most popular plays featured a twisted version of Richard as the enemy.

"You're not wrong," Boudicca pulled a rolled sheet of paper from her swordbelt as she spoke, laying it out on the table. On it was a terribly inaccurate painting of Richard, showing him to have a significant humped back and a tiny withered arm. Written below the painting were the words, 'My horse, my horse, my kingdom for a horse!'.

As Laila and Charles took a good look at the poster, Richard protested "I didn't even say that!"

"Isn't that the painter who does all of Oliver Cromwell's portraits?" Laila asked, pointing to the name signed at the bottom of the poster.

Charles frowned thoughtfully as he read the name. "I think you might be right. I guess he specialises in painting ugly pictures, but the difference is that Cromwell's are pretty spot-on unlike Richard's."

"All I can promise is that the next time I see Heph, I'll talk to him." Laila smiled in resignation. "I'll warn you though; Alexander once said to me that the person who can make peach between all the Monarchs all the time deserves their own statue!"

"I'm surprised he hadn't tried harder then!" Boudicca remarked, sending them all into fits of laughter.


End file.
